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Mark Hill | Antiques & Collectables Expert | Author & PublisherMark Hill | Antiques & Collectables Expert | Author & Publisher
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CATEGORIES
RECENT BLOG POSTS

  • William Staite Murray – A Rediscovered Painting

  • The Amazing Art of Ron Hitchins

  • Handy – A 19thC Carved Wood African Writing Aid?

  • A Glass Painter’s Goblet – A Rare 19th Century Discovery

  • Is This The Earliest Commercial Iridescent Glass?

  • But it doesn’t even look like glass! Sèvres Lithyalin.

  • It Was Before Its Time – A Curious Modern Vase

  • The Georgian Box & The Drag Queen
RECENT BLOG POSTS

  • William Staite Murray – A Rediscovered Painting

  • The Amazing Art of Ron Hitchins

  • Handy – A 19thC Carved Wood African Writing Aid?

  • A Glass Painter’s Goblet – A Rare 19th Century Discovery

  • Is This The Earliest Commercial Iridescent Glass?

ABOUT MARK HILL :

Mark is an author, publisher, TV presenter, and the leading specialist dealer in postwar Czechoslovakian glass. He has been an expert on the BBC Antiques Roadshow since 2007, and co-presented four primetime TV shows on antiques, collecting and interiors for BBC2, including two series of Collectaholics. Mark lectures widely and is an Arts Society (NADFAS) accredited lecturer, a member of The British Antiques Dealers’ Association, and a Freeman of the City of London.

Member of The British Antique Dealers’ Association

NEWSLETTER

MARK'S LATEST TWEETS

    Tweets by @antiquemark

MARK'S INSTAGRAM

    markhillantiques
    “I don’t know what it is either”, he said wh “I don’t know what it is either”, he said when I was examining it quizzically. Earlier this month we went to Barcelona for a much-needed break and I stumbled across the Mercat Gòtic outside the cathedral. What a little treasure trove! And so much less expensive and more friendly than most of the shops on the nearby street. I was intrigued by this small sculpture (only 9cm/3.5in in length!) carved from a burr or bit of root. Three ‘grotesque’ faces stared out at me, two in profile. The patina indicated that it had been handled and examined for many years. The lack of a hole or wear from mounting, a flat base, and the presence of a monogram signature implies that it is what it is - it wasn’t part of something. It sort of looks like a misshapen lamb cutlet crossed with an Honoré Daumier sculpture! I’m thinking French, late 19thC, if not a little earlier, partly as the dealer had come from France. But I know nothing more. As its new guardian, I can’t put it down either - a clever carving, full of emotions and skill in blending the fascinating facial forms with the random natural bumps and hollows. I do love a mystery, but sometimes there’s little or no further story, it’s just a ‘good thing’.
    I caught (a) Coronavirus…in a bottle! Virtuoso I caught (a) Coronavirus…in a bottle! Virtuoso lampworking of absolute delicacy and accuracy. Probably Southern German (Lauscha) or Czech, from the mid-late 20th century, and kind of in the style of Vera Liskova. A glassmaking marvel that makes a ship-in-a-bottle look like the work of an amateur! And, today, a very timely form…especially as a new variant (not this one) spreads across our planet. 🦠 Look after yourselves!
    Sometimes I just like something. I’ve been kept Sometimes I just like something. I’ve been kept company at my desk this week by this wonderfully angular African carved and ebonised wood giraffe. I love the simple geometric lines of the body and the contrasting, curving shape of the stylised head. Modern and Modernist, the carver was probably influenced by both traditional African tribal art and European modern art. He may not be worth a great deal, or have a deep and meaningful story connected to him, but he makes me happy. Bought from the marvellous @lichfieldantiques after an @theartssociety lecture nearby. I can’t resist an antiques centre 😆
    Every now and again you find something good. A ‘ Every now and again you find something good. A ‘sleeper’, almost. Earlier this year I found a painting by the progressive, avant garde art potter and artist William Staite Murray. A colleague and friend of Ben & Winifred Nicholson, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Jacob Epstein, and Paul Nash, he was a member of the influential ‘Seven and Five Society’. His painting has traditionally been eclipsed by his art pottery, but for how long…? Read my new blog post - link in bio.
    I have long been fascinated by the amazing art and I have long been fascinated by the amazing art and incredible story of flamenco-dancing East End artist and sculptor Ron Hitchins (1926-2019). Born to a Lithuanian prostitute working in a Soho Opium den and a Chinese father, he created unique, enigmatic and eccentric art and sculpture for over six decades. At the core of his work are thousands of hand-carved geometric terracotta tiles, each of which is - astonishingly - unique. But there’s so much more… A top tip for the future, for sure. Read my new blog post on my website - link in bio.
    I bought an old ring today. Partly because it fitt I bought an old ring today. Partly because it fitted. Partly because it looks very old. And partly because I didn’t know what the symbols meant and every day is a school day in this business. I thought the symbols are Eastern Arabic numbers, so guessed they may relate to a verse in the Quran. It’s already stained my finger grey, so it’s presumably a low grade silver! But I didn’t know, so I asked the Internet. And a very kind jewellery historian quickly told me via Twitter that it’s a 19th century African talismanic ring, made in Mali or Ethiopia, probably from melted down Marie Theresa Thaler silver coins. The symbols may be Eastern Islamic, although an Arabic reader/speaker tells me that they are not numbers. Instead, they are talismanic symbols or numeric characters imbued with ‘magical’ protective or curative properties. The heavy wear and construction shows that it was made by a tribe and ‘tribally used’, rather than being produced for tourists. It’s an old thing and the real deal, not tat. I’ve now found a 47 page academic paper on such East & West African talismanic rings and their magical symbols, including Tuareg examples, so here we go…exciting!
    Some things may never have their story revealed. B Some things may never have their story revealed. But we still like them. I was charmed by this watercolour study from 1971 - seemingly for a final picture - of two cherubs or putti fighting for a Chinese porcelain bowl outside a burning country house. The caption reveals where - it’s Wilton House, which suffered a fire of debatable seriousness in the south wing in 1647. It looks pretty serious to me in this picture!! Whatever, it was rebuilt by renowned architect Inigo Jones and his architect nephew John Webb. There’s also an inscription on the back, in biro. Quite why someone called Andrew painted this in 1971, and asked someone called William to include this study or the final picture in something (an exhibition? A catalogue or book?), I simply can’t find. Maybe I’ll never know. But I still like it! (And what is that very strange sculpture on the pedestal all about?!)
    Mundane and useless today as it may appear, there’s so much I love about this letter rack. It’s a snapshot of an age over a century ago. The style is Secessionist, effectively a branch of Art Nouveau with more geometric symmetry. Arching and peaking around 1900, it was named after groups of artists and designers who broke with the traditional norms in terms of style to strike out on their own. They began in Munich in 1892, continued with the famous Vienna Secession in 1897, and continued with Berlin in 1898. It’s often known as Jugendstil on the Continent, which literally means ‘young-style’. Associated mames such as Gustav Klimt, Hosef Hoffman, Koloman Moser, and Joseph Maria Olbrich are truly names to conjure with today. And look at the construction - rectangular section copper and brass rods are bent and fused to great decorative effect, almost echoing Gothic church window designs. Today, or even over the past 70 years, the quality would truly have been much poorer. The materials may not be precious, but it’s a contemporary piece at the height of its style and, judging from the construction, the partly polished patina, and the screws on the base, this is original - from Past Times it is not! Who can’t deny the joy of receiving a handwritten letter, especially in our age of impersonal emails? With writing being a core activity of any day at the time, this would have been the focal point of the desk of a well-to-do person with an eye for the avant garde, and progressive art and design. Imagine those rich colours against a dark late 19thC mahogany desk! Substance, sculpture, story, style. Found and bought for £35 from the vastly excellent @hemswellantiquecentres
    Collaboration counts. The @world_of_ronati U.K. ne Collaboration counts. The @world_of_ronati U.K. networking event, organised by @antiqnewsfairs and very kindly hosted by @lorfordsantiq - a superb lunch in a stunning location on a super sunny day. Featuring @decorative_collective @olympiaartantiques @thehousedirectory @wembleyantiquesmarket @salvoweb @aafefairs @asfairs @thekairoscollective @freyasimms @ivanmacq @scarabantiques @rugaddictionuk @duncanphillipspr @duchessroseantiques @handofgloryantiques @staceytiveron and many, many more. So great to see you, thank you!!
    Once again, the dealers and organisers of @decorat Once again, the dealers and organisers of @decorativefair have pulled out all the stops to produce a fair full of inspiration, excitement, emotion, decoration, erudition, and more. A much-needed feast for the senses and mind in troubling times. It’s on all this coming weekend. A visit brings constant joy, as I well know! Go! Visit @decorativefair for tickets 🤩
    I’m delighted to announce that I have joined the I’m delighted to announce that I have joined the BBC Antiques Roadtrip team! It’s fast-paced, fab fun taking the classic for a spin around Scotland with my dear friend Roo Irvine (@rooirvine). We found treasures galore - tune in later this year to find out what they are! And, of course, who wins! In the meantime, you can read an interview with me by the kind people @hellomag here - https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20220504139330/antiques-road-trip-mark-hill-new-expert-exclusive/?viewas=amp
    I just walked through a busy hotel reception in my I just walked through a busy hotel reception in my @earlofbedlam tweed Plus Fours and everyone looked. Not sure if it’s because they are Plus Fours or because I undid the calf buckles to sit down for dinner and they made me sound like a Morris Dancer as I walked along. Or both…
    I give them back. Single use plastic cups. Inste I give them back. Single use plastic cups. Instead I pop out my £12 Edwardian collapsible silver-plated cup. More elegant, more fun, and more sustainable - with a quick rinse, it will last a lifetime. Antiques really are green.
    Some things are just too cheap. Like this 17th cen Some things are just too cheap. Like this 17th century engraving I bought yesterday. It was printed by hand in 1686, and was produced by Dutch engraver Michael Burghers for Robert Plot’s ‘Natural History of Staffordshire’, published that year. It shows Prestwood House and estate, country seat of the wealthy Foley family. The house, near Kingswinford, was demolished in the 1920s. It’s large, beautiful, and filled with a wealth of wonderful detail. And it’s very, very old. 336 years old, to be precise, made during the reign of King James II. Nearly three and a half centuries ago. It cost me £12. The price of a glass of good wine in a bar, or an okay bottle from a supermarket. And how long do they last?!
    “It looks like an old steam train!” she exclai “It looks like an old steam train!” she exclaimed. “The ones with a dead spider in the bottom are always worth looking at.” a friend once told me. Chance find this week - a 1980s Polish Velt studio glass chimney vase, designed by Maria Veltuzen-Nagrabecka and made at the Stanislav Michny glassworks, inscribed ‘Velt’ on the base. £10. Organic detritus and double dead spiders inside, free.
    Two curious small bowls bought in an antiques shop Two curious small bowls bought in an antiques shop in Naples, Italy, this past weekend. They were being used as eggcups to hold two nearly new Christmassy painted eggs. I thought they were Finnish at first, by Tapio Wirkkala or someone like that. Now I’m not so sure as I can’t find the shape. The cutting is also slightly different on each, but I love the optical effects caused by the thick bodies and rounded rims. More research to be done!
    I’ve seen plenty of souvenir brooches or pins co I’ve seen plenty of souvenir brooches or pins commemorating the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II before. But not this one. Browsing around the excellent @wembleyantiquesmarket today, I chanced upon it for £10. What a perfect piece to find in Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee year, marking her 70th year on the throne. Sadly, this pin isn’t made from platinum to match the year. Like most Coronation souvenir jewellery, it’s plated base metal and some rather cheap rhinestones. One or two of which are missing. So we agreed £8 would do. But it is an original pin from 1953, with a Tudor rose, a clover, and a thistle to mark the countries of the Union. Two ‘baguette’ cut ‘stones’ sit between E and R to mark she was the second queen named Elizabeth. On top sits a crown. As I said, I’ve never seen this one before - have you? Vivat Regina!
    Yes, it’s a bit creepy. Well, maybe more than a Yes, it’s a bit creepy. Well, maybe more than a bit creepy. But it’s an original painting and the frame was nice - once upon a time. I’ve always been strangely fascinated by those weird, kitschy pictures of big-eyed, large-headed children that were so popular in the the 1960s-70s, led by Margaret Keane’s work. Definitely a fad then, but so very collectable today. I guess it’s that weird attraction you sometimes feel towards something you really hate. So I couldn’t resist this 16in high painting, especially as it was ever so slightly more palatable and interesting than the usual fare. We agreed a price of £15, too. You see framed prints literally every-where, but never original paintings. Somehow, hideous as I find them, I don’t think they should be ignored as an international fad of their day. On the tube home, I managed to read the signature, ‘I Vernet’. Bingo! L. Vernet was a highly prolific illustrator for prints and postcards during the period. I can’t find anything out about the presumably highly commercially successful Vernet online, so he’s very much a mystery. Also a mystery is where I shall hang it to scare guests. The downstairs loo, or the guest bedroom?! 😂
    Sunday funday mystery object! Any ideas?? See my b Sunday funday mystery object! Any ideas?? See my blog for the best guess…link in bio. And there’s a clue in the image! Or maybe there isn’t. Can you sniff it out? Handy?!
    We’re back! The Antiques Roadshow returns to BBC We’re back! The Antiques Roadshow returns to BBC1 at 7pm tonight, 13th February. I’m first up, opening the show with an amazing find rescued from fire. We were at Portchester Castle, and here I am with my esteemed and lovely colleagues and friends Hilary Kay and Ronnie Archer-Morgan. It was a great day - tune in to see what we found!! 📸 @decanterman
    Load More… Follow on Instagram
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      • Art – Blog Archive
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      • Dunhill Namiki
      • Fat Lava – Blog Archive
      • General Collecting – Blog Archive
      • Glass – Blog Archive
      • Inuit Sculpture
      • Polish Film Posters
      • Prehistoric Art in Modern Design
      • The Horrors of War
      • Top Picks – Olympic Memorabilia
      • Top Ten in 20thC Glass – Part I
      • Top Ten in 20thC Glass – Part II
      • Whitefriars Fakes
      • Who & What Was Raymor?
    • Ricardia Art Pottery
      • Ricardia – Shapes
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      • Ricardia – Marks
    • Portfolio
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      • Bespoke Tours With Mark
      • RONATI
      • Book Price Guide & Update Sheets
  • TV & Events
    • Watch Mark on TV
      • BBC Antiques Roadshow
      • Collectaholics – BBC2
      • Antiques Uncovered – BBC2
      • Cracking Antiques – BBC2
    • Events Archive
      • Alla Moda Italian Ceramics Exhibition
      • Dartington Exhibition
      • Fat Lava Exhibition
      • Hi Sklo Lo Sklo Exhibition
      • Isle of Wight Glass Studio Day
      • Mdina Glass Book Launch
      • Michael Harris at Broadfield House
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